The present invention relates to retroreflective sheeting, and more particularly to such sheeting that exhibits a fluorescent red-orange color.
It is known that fluorescent colors can provide increased conspicuity, particularly under low natural lighting conditions. Fluorescent colors provide enhanced conspicuity because the visual contrast that fluorescent colors create with the environment is greater than non-fluorescent articles. High visibility products such as traffic signs and the like have been manufactured which employ fluorescent yellow and red colors.
High visibility is also desirable for safety apparel, such as rainwear, coveralls, outerwear, polar shirts, and high visibility vests, and for other high visibility applications such as temporary road signs and the like. These products require a compliant high gloss reflective sheeting, with a red-orange color. Fluorescent red-orange is defined by the CIE 1931 standard colorimetric system as falling within a range of chromaticity coordinates (x, y) defined by (0.610, 0.390), (0.535, 0.375), (0.570, 0.340) and (0.655, 0.344) according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for high-visibility safety apparel and the European high visibility standard EN471.
Despite the desirability of fluorescent red-orange apparel and signs for increased visibility and safety, a true fluorescent red-orange product with acceptable brightness and retroreflectivity properties has been difficult to formulate. Current products for safety apparel that fall within the fluorescent red-orange color range are products sold by 3M Company of St. Paul, Minn. as 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material High Gloss Trim (and High Gloss Film), as well as a blaze-orange product manufactured by Reflexite Corporation of Avon, Conn. and W-7514 Fluorescent Orange retroreflective sheeting manufactured by Avery-Dennison Corporation of Pasadena, Calif. While these products fall within the red-orange color coordinates, they tend to suffer from an unimpressive level of retroreflectivity, daytime brightness, or a combination thereof. A red-orange retroreflective product that can provide greater brightness and retroreflectivity would be a substantial advancement to the state of the art.